Homestead: MSR's Negri race report

Negri Feeling Right at Home(stead) Once Again
(Homestead, FL) 13 October- With both the IRL and Grand-Am Rolex Sports
Car Series staging their season finales at the South Florida-facility,
there were plenty of Miami-based Brazilians racing at ...

Negri Feeling Right at Home(stead) Once Again

(Homestead, FL) 13 October- With both the IRL and Grand-Am Rolex Sports
Car Series staging their season finales at the South Florida-facility,
there were plenty of Miami-based Brazilians racing at Homestead Miami
Speedway this weekend.

But when the checkered flags flew, only one of those racing Brazilians
was on the podium, spraying champagne as Oswaldo Negri co-drove with Mark
Patterson to a strong third place finish for Michael Shank Racing.

The podium run was Negri's second of the 2009 season at the track,
as he converted his debut KONI Challenge appearance in March into a
third-place finish and he helped Ken Wilden on his way to the 2009
Championship. It also marked the second time he shared the Homestead
celebrations with long-time co-driver Patterson, who netted the year-end
Trueman Award for his efforts behind the wheel all season long.

For Negri, who has proven himself as one of the quickest drivers to strap
into Daytona Prototype competition, the podium finish was another career
highlight after charging from last in the field to take third at the
finish. Making the celebrations that much sweeter was the presence of
scores of friends and family on hand for the race.

In fact, just moments after emerging from the car following hours of door
to door combat with some of the worlds best sports car drivers, Negri
immediately and instinctively switched into his most cherished
role-father--as he motioned to his daughters, who were eager to greet him
after the race, to be safe and wait for all the cars to clear out of pit
lane before crossing.

"I do not know what it is about this track, but I'm always
hoping and working for something special to happen every time I race
here. Having my family here and getting the Trueman Award for Mark to end
this season makes it so special. I also had all my young go-karters here
to watch this race and I'm very happy to not disappoint them
today!" joked Negri. "We had to fight from 17th to get back
to the lead pack. I had the right strategy from the team to do that, and
just had to be aggressive when I could, and patient the rest of the time.
It is fantastic to win races, but this is a very, very special race
result for me and Mark and Michael Shank Racing to be on the podium here
today."

The third place finish was a welcome close to the 2009 Rolex season,
which has seen the No. 60 Ford-Riley regularly atop the timing sheets,
but not able to break through for a podium result until the final event.
The result also keeps Negri and Patterson's streak of podium
finishes, which the duo started in 2005, in tact as the two have combined
every season for at least one top-three finish.